NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Engagement Augmentation Study
Appendices – Recruitment and Communication Materials
OMB# 1850-0803 v.279
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December 2020
Appendix A: Recruitment advertisement 3
Appendix B: Screening survey (Script for recruitment) 4
Appendix C: Scheduling confirmation email 6
Appendix D: Cover letter with consent form 7
Appendix E: Thank you email 10
[The recruitment advertisement below is intended to be used for all locations listed in Volume I: classified ads (e.g., local newspapers, Craigslist); social media sites (e.g., Facebook, NextDoor, Instagram); and newsletters through mailing lists to individuals and organizations (e.g., schools, summer camps, after-school programs) with previous relationships with ACT.]
<<Dear [Parent/Guardian and Student],>> (if direct email to an individual)
On behalf of the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics, ACT research team is conducting virtual interviews on science assessments. We are looking for 8th grade students to participate in a Zoom-based virtual interviews from their homes whom we would compensate with an electronic gift card ($25 for up to a 75-minute session). Students will answer questions and share their feedback on ways to improve innovative assessments. The study is running from [Insert start date] through [Insert end date].
Parent/guardians of students who are interested in participating should complete this screening survey. [Insert link – see Screening Survey on the following page for content]
If you have any questions about the interviews, please feel free to contact the lead researcher, Dr. Yigal Rosen via email at [email protected] or via phone at 781-707-6517.
Dear [Parent/Guardian and Student],
Thank you for your interest in participating in a Zoom-based virtual interview on innovative science assessment. On behalf of the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics, ACT research team is conducting virtual interviews on science assessments via Zoom. To help us with development of innovative assessments, we are working with 8th-graders to learn what they think about different types of activities and items. We are looking for 8th grade students to participate whom we would compensate with an e-gift card ($25 for up to a 75-minute session). Students will answer questions and share their feedback on ways to improve innovative assessment tasks1. The interview will include audio recording and screen capturing. No video recording will be included in the virtual interviews. The study is running from [Insert start date] through [Insert end date].
These assessment tasks are part of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), which is a test that students across the country take every two to three years. The test does not affect students’ grades or their schools in any way. The scores from the test are not given to students or teachers but are used to understand the performance of all 8th-graders in the US. It is important to emphasize that we are NOT TESTING STUDENTS or their performance in any way. We are interested in using students’ input and feedback to make the tasks better. We will not include students’ names or any information about students in the reports we make; the reports will group all of the students’ ideas together to report anonymously.
Please answer the following questions.
Parent/Guardian name: ________________________
Student name: ________________________
Race/ethnicity:
White
Black or African American
Hispanic
Asian
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander
American Indian or Alaska Native
Two or More Races
Gender:
Female
Male
Other
School name where the student is an 8th grader: ________________________
Email (for sending your Visa e-gift card): ________________________
Your availability for a 60 to 75-minute Zoom-based virtual interview (please select all that apply): [Insert available dates and time slots]. If you have any questions, feel free to call me at 781-707-6517 or email me at [email protected].
Thank you,
Yigal Rosen, Ph.D.
Senior Director
ACT, Inc.
781-707-6517 | [email protected]
Dear [Parent/Guardian and Student],
Thanks again for agreeing to participate in our NAEP virtual interviews on science assessments1. This message is to verify your time slot for the study. [Insert date and time here]
Please use the following link to join the virtual interview [Insert link to the Zoom session].
We recommend joining the virtual interview a few minutes early. Please secure a quiet space/room at your home to enable effective participation in the virtual interview.
Attached is a letter with a little more information as well as a consent form for the study to be signed by parent/guardian. Please print, sign, scan and email back the form prior to the virtual interview. Alternatively, email back the from with an e-signature prior to the virtual interview.
If you need to reschedule, please let us know as soon as possible so that we may be able to accommodate your request rather than replacing you as a participant.
If you have any questions, feel free to call me at 781-707-6517 or email me at [email protected].
Thank you again,
Yigal Rosen, Ph.D.
Senior Director
ACT, Inc.
781-707-6517 | [email protected]
Parent/Legal Guardian Cover Letter
Dear Parent/Legal Guardian,
ACT is conducting research to obtain feedback from students who use or may use educational assessments so that we may develop new and innovative assessment content to meet students’ needs. As part of this research, ACT is conducting a study to analyze engagement in assessment activities among 8th grade students. Each student will be presented with two Science Interactive Computer Tasks. ACT researchers will interview the student to obtain feedback regarding his/her/their interest in the task, clarity of instructions, etc. The student will complete the tasks, but the student will not be graded. The computer will record the student’s interaction with the tasks through audio and screen capturing1. ACT needs this data and student input to understand how students respond to different features of the tasks. In other words, we are NOT testing the students’ science performance but rather how well science tasks engage students in order to improve the tasks. Additional details regarding the study are provided on the attached consent form.
Our hope is that this research will benefit students by allowing us to develop new types of assessment content, while maintaining fairness and accuracy. Please note that students will take only a small set of sample questions and will not receive a grade or score as a result of this study. Each participant will be assigned a unique student identifier (ID), and at no time will his/her/their name be linked to any of his/her/their answers. The data obtained from the study will be summarized and aggregated across all student participants and the aggregate information will be shared with ACT researchers, so that they may learn more about how to develop and validate science assessment content.
We are recording audio and screen during this session to help us keep a record of suggestions and feedback. There will be no video recording of the student and the students will be asked to keep their video camera off during the session.
The student’s participation in all aspects of this study will last about 75-minutes and will be scheduled between [dates to be determined]. Each interview requires participation in one Zoom virtual session. Participation in the study is completely voluntary. You may withdraw consent for the student’s participation in the study at any time. The student also has the right to refuse to answer particular questions.
The parents/legal guardians have the option to observe the interview.
Please read the form, sign it, and send it via the email listed below. Working with your child is essential for us to learn how innovative educational assessments can be developed for future use in national assessments. Your support of this research is greatly appreciated!
Sincerely,
Yigal Rosen, Ph.D.
Senior Director
ACT, Inc.
781-707-6517 | [email protected]
Parent/Legal Guardian Consent Form
Purpose of the Study
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This research is being conducted by researchers at ACT on behalf of the National Center for Education Statistics 1. The purpose of this research project is
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Procedures
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If you grant permission for your child to participate in the Science Interactive Computer Task Study:
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Potential Risks and Discomforts
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There are few anticipated risks from participating in this research study. Children may have some anxiety about completing the science task/s, however, researchers will make clear to them that they are not being tested or scored for their answers. They may feel uncomfortable being audiotaped. Our researchers have extensive experience working with children and will establish a friendly low-pressure environment. |
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Potential Benefits |
Gaining experiences with computer-based assessments or interactive task/s. |
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Confidentiality |
We will make every effort to keep the information about you and your child private. We will keep all information about you and your child in secure research offices. If we write a report or article about this research project, we will not identify you or your child. Your information will be shared only if any information provided by you or your child indicate that someone is in danger or if we are required to do so by law. |
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Right to Withdraw and Questions |
Your child’s participation in this research is completely voluntary. You may choose not to have your child take part at all. If you decide to let your child participate in this research, your child may stop participating at any time. If you have questions, concerns, or complaints, please contact Dr. Yigal Rosen at ACT by phone at 781-707-6517 or email at [email protected]. |
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Participant Rights
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If you have questions about your rights as a research participant or your child’s rights, please contact Dr. Yigal Rosen at ACT by phone at 781-707-6517 or email at [email protected]. |
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Statement of Consent
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Your signature indicates that you are at least 18 years of age; you have read this permission form or have had it read to you; your questions have been answered to your satisfaction and you voluntarily agree to allow your child to participate in this research study. You will receive a copy of this signed permission form. If you agree to have your child participate, please sign your name below. |
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Signature and Date
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DATE |
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FULL NAME OF CHILD [Please Print] |
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FULL NAME OF PARENT/LEGAL GUARDIAN [Please Print] |
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SIGNATURE OF PARENT/LEGAL GUARDIAN |
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Do you give permission for your child to participate in the Study (including audio recording and screen capturing)? |
Please check one: _____ YES _____ NO |
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Dear [Parent/Guardian and Student],
Thank you for your participation in a virtual interview on innovative science assessments. Your help is greatly appreciated!
We are pleased to provide the student who participated with a $25 e-gift card: [Insert e-gift card details]
If you have any questions, feel free to call me at 781-707-6517 or email me at [email protected].
Thank you,
Yigal Rosen, Ph.D.
Senior Director
ACT, Inc.
781-707-6517 | [email protected]
1 The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is authorized to conduct NAEP by the National Assessment of Educational Progress Authorization Act (20 U.S.C. §9622). All of the information provided by participants may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S.C. §9573 and 6 U.S.C. §151). By law, every NCES employee as well as every NCES agent, such as contractors and NAEP coordinators, has taken an oath and is subject to a jail term of up to 5 years, a fine of $250,000, or both if he or she willfully discloses ANY identifiable information about participants. Electronic submission of participant’s information will be monitored for viruses, malware, and other threats by Federal employees and contractors in accordance with the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015. The collected information will be combined across respondents to produce statistical reports.
According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this voluntary information collection is 1850-0803 and the approval expires 06/30/2022. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 9 minutes per response, including the time to review instructions and complete and review the information collection. If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate, suggestions for improving this collection, or comments or concerns about the contents or the status of your individual submission of this questionnaire, please e-mail: Shawn.Kline @ed.gov, or write directly to: Shawn Kline, National Center for Education Statistics, Potomac Center Plaza, 550 12th Street, SW, Room 4014, Washington, DC 20202..
1 The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is authorized to conduct NAEP by the National Assessment of Educational Progress Authorization Act (20 U.S.C. §9622). All of the information provided by participants may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S.C. §9573 and 6 U.S.C. §151). By law, every NCES employee as well as every NCES agent, such as contractors and NAEP coordinators, has taken an oath and is subject to a jail term of up to 5 years, a fine of $250,000, or both if he or she willfully discloses ANY identifiable information about participants. Electronic submission of participant’s information will be monitored for viruses, malware, and other threats by Federal employees and contractors in accordance with the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015. The collected information will be combined across respondents to produce statistical reports.
According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this voluntary information collection is 1850-0803 and the approval expires 06/30/2022.
1 The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is authorized to conduct NAEP by the National Assessment of Educational Progress Authorization Act (20 U.S.C. §9622). All of the information provided by participants may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S.C. §9573 and 6 U.S.C. §151).
According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this voluntary information collection is 1850-0803 and the approval expires 06/30/2022.
1 The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is authorized to conduct NAEP by the National Assessment of Educational Progress Authorization Act (20 U.S.C. §9622). All of the information provided by participants may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S.C. §9573 and 6 U.S.C. §151). By law, every NCES employee as well as every NCES agent, such as contractors and NAEP coordinators, has taken an oath and is subject to a jail term of up to 5 years, a fine of $250,000, or both if he or she willfully discloses ANY identifiable information about participants. Electronic submission of participant’s information will be monitored for viruses, malware, and other threats by Federal employees and contractors in accordance with the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015. The collected information will be combined across respondents to produce statistical reports.
According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this voluntary information collection is 1850-0803 and the approval expires 06/30/2022.
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| Author | Jay Thomas |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2021-01-13 |